The project is a capacity development Technical Assistance funded by the Government of Canada through the CIDA. MyFirstJob, one of the components of the EFIG project, is designed to enhance employability of youth who are at risk to find productive employment, helping boost youth employment. Under the pilot project, officials from DOLE and Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) will be trained to deliver labor market information and employment services that are timely and appropriate. This will be followed by the random selection of 1,600 young people from four (4) PESOs who will undergo technical and life skills training required by employers; and have opportunities for work experience through on-the-job training and mentoring, and tools for improving job searches and outcomes.

D O L E , A D B L a u n c h E F I G P r o j e c tThe Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), has launched the Employment Facilitation for Inclusive Growth (EFIG) project on 09 July 2013 at The Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila.

Nationwide Conduct of Career Guidance WeekThe Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with Career Guidance Advocacy Program (CGAP)-Working Group composed of the DOLE, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST), has implemented the nationwide Career Guidance Week (CGW) last 22-26 July 2013.

The implementation of the CGW is part of the CGAP, a convergent program under the auspices of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction (HDPR) Cluster. The CGAP seeks to address the job-skill mismatch problem. The conduct of CGW is also in line with the goal of the K-12 Basic Education Program to produce graduates who are ready for higher education, middle level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The annual observance of activity in all high schools is envisioned to prevent waste of resources in producing graduates in the college and tech-voc levels who could not meet the qualification standards of the labor market.

The Technical Assitance Report of the EFIG Project.

Students dressed up in attires of their chosen future career for the CGW. Photo Courtesy: DOLE-LCO.

Our partnership with ADB and CIDA is a welcome complementary measure to the existing government efforts for boosting job creation and addressing the problem of high unemployment rate, particularly among young workers.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz and Department of Finance (DOF) Director Stella Laureano; Ms. Shigeko Hattori, Director of Public Management, Financial Sector and Trade Division, Southeast Asia Department of ADB; Mr. Kelly Bird, Principal Economist of ADB; and Mr. Luke Myers, Head of Aid of the Canadian CIDA participated in the handing over of the technical assistance paper. Also present in the event were representatives from other government agencies, industry groups, and media personnel. /tc

The CGW aims to inform the students on the qualification standards for various types of careers to develop their awareness and appreciation on the available jobs in the labor market which are corresponding with their needs and interests, thus, gearing them up towards right career choices. /tc

– SECRETARY ROSALINDA DIMAPILIS-BALDOZ

JobsFit LMI Report: National Integration WorkshopAfter the regional consultations on the Project JobsFit: DOLE 2020 Vision review conducted around the country, a National Integration Workshop was organized by the BLE on 27 July 2013, at the Occupational Safety and Health Center, Quezon City. The Workshop was conducted to consolidate the findings of the regional consultations, and substantiate/supplement the initial inputs and validate the issues and recommendations gathered from stakeholder groups.The Workshop was divided into two (2) parts. The first part was report-presentations on post-Project JobsFit progress and development by the Bureau’s OIC-Director Jose Sandoval; information on labor market supply and demand were presented by Dir. Dominique Tutay (DOLE-Planning Service), Dir. Levinson Alcantara (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration), Dir. Ma. Teresita Semana (CHED), Ms. Charlyn Justimbaste (TESDA), and Dir. Teofilo Gaius Sison (PRC); and the issues of job-skill mismatch and occupational shortage and surpluses by Exec. Dir. Cynthia Cruz (Institute for Labor Studies) and Mr. Manuel Laopao (Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics), respectively. The second part was the workshop proper where the participants consisting of representatives from government agencies, industry sectors, and academe were grouped into island clusters. These groups validated the consolidated

data from the regional consultations report particularly the key and emerging industries and the availability of skills. The groups provided insights on the issues and gaps in the demand for skills and competencies, strategies and programs addressing the gaps/issues, and action agenda.

October-December ActivitiesJobsFit LMI Report National Manpower SummitPESO Congress 2013

Editorial Board: Contributing Writers:

Layout Artist:

Dir. Dominique Tutay | Ms. Ruth Rodriguez | Mr. Kempee Royce CruzMs. Marie Iris Prieto | Ms. Paulene Michelle LimMr. Kempee Royce Cruz

BLE and PESOPhil, Inc., meet to discuss the 13th National PESO Congress

Continuously planning for the 13th National PESO Congress, the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) and the National Federation of PESO Managers (PESOPhil, Inc.) held their 2nd Quarterly Meeting on 19-21 June 2013, in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.The three-day activity was graced by DOLE-4B Regional Director Maria Zenaida Eusebia Angara-Campita. Provided with all the necessary support from the host region, the BLE and PESOPhil, Inc., thoroughly discussed the groundwork for the 13th National PESO Congress, which will be conducted on 24-27 September at the Oriental Hotel in Palo, Leyte. The proposed theme for this year’s PESO Congress is “PESO, Kabalikat at Gabay sa Disente at Matatag na Paghahanap-buhay.” Revolving around the said theme, topics for the plenary sessions were identified, as well as the resource speakersto be invited, whose insights will certainly have a positive impact on the provision of employment services at the grassroots level.

The BLE and PESOPhil, Inc. met again last 01-03 August 2013, at the Wellcome Hotel, Cebu City for their 3rd Quarterly Meeting. The meeting was set to iron out and finalize the necessary preparations for the Congress. As such, the final list of participants, as well as the resource speakers and guests for the event had already been determined in the meeting.The National PESO Congress is an annual event where PESO Managers all over the country gather to share good practices in employment facilitation, which other PESOs may adopt in their respective localities. /ip

BLE hosts SOSL Consultation

With participants from the labor and professional groups, academe, employers, business chambers, and concerned DOLE agencies, the BLE conducted the third of a series of consultation-workshops on the Skilled Occupational Shortage List (SOSL) on 28 June 2013 at The Heritage Hotel, Manila.

The session started with a presentation on the background of the SOSL and the proposed Department Order on the SOSL by BLE OIC-Director Jose Sandoval, followed by the process on how the current list was developed by Ms. Ruth Rodriguez. The stakeholders shared their inputs and opinions through a group discussion. The output of the consultation-workshop was consolidated by the BLE and to be further reviewed for the finalization of the list.

The SOSL is one of the initiatives currently undertaken by the DOLE to facilitate the flow of foreign workers with critical skills in the country. The list aims to determine if there is a short supply of labor in specific industries, occupations, and professions which inhibit the country from increased productivity and industry development due to stoppage of operations; and at the same time, send appropriate labor market signals to education and training institutions to produce the occupational skills which are in short supply.

For an occupation to be included in the list, it should be supported with sufficient data and information based on studies, statistics, and labor market survey, identifying it to be crucial to the country’s industries and having a lack of supply from the local labor to fill-in. /pl

The BLE will harmonize all the inputs and draft the JobsFit Labor Market Information Report to be presented during the National Manpower Summit which will be held late this year. /tcLuzon-A group deliberating on the in-demand and hard-to-fill occupations of the regions.